KUDIMIYAMALAI - KUDUMINATHAN TEMPLE

Next day the King arrived as announced and found to his shock, the icon sporting a plait. Unable to believe and thinking that the priest had managed to stick it to the icon, he pulled it. Horrible! Blood started flowing from head drop by drop. Repenting his rashness, the King prayed for the Lord's mercy with an apology to the priest. He rewarded him richly. The priest thus saved, changed his life as vowed. From then the Moolavar is called Kudiminathar, the Tamil word stands for the lard sporting a plait. The temple is vast in dimensions and is accommodating many mini-shrines and -several mandaps ; for deities prominently, like Vinayaka and Arupathumoovar. And between these two lies the main sannidhi for Subrahmanya. There is a separate grand mandir for Mother Akhilandeswari, who is very powerful and the Ilavelpu of Rudrakottai rulers. And important state function like coronation of swearing in ceremony used to be inaugurated only after offering prayers to this Mother and getting her sanction in the past. It was patronised by devout kings like Sadayana Maran, Tirumoolattavan lavishly. There are many inscriptions bearing testimony to this. Elaborate daily prayers are offered and 'yearly festivals are celebrated on a grand scale befitting the royalty.

It is 18 km off Pudukottai, a provincely State of Tamilnadu, accessible by bus.

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